LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Some of the best young talent in the world competed in the nine-day U19 FIBA World Cup in front of over 200 NBA scouts and college coaches. There is a wave of international players electing to come over to the states for college instead of staying in their home country with the rise of NIL opportunities and being able to develop amongst peers.
Team USA rolled through the pool play, led by 6-foot-3 Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. who averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 assists per game. His high basketball IQ has been on display the entire tournament and is one of the reasons why he’s a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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Hannes Steinbach (Germany) and Omer Mayer (Israel) have been huge sparks for their respective teams. Steinbach, a 6-foot-9 forward, is headed to Washington and Mayer, a 6-foot-4 point guard, is signed to Purdue. Mayer led the comeback charge against Cameroon in the round of 16, finishing with 33 points and 7 assists. Steinbach’s inside-outside game and how well he plays with frontcourt teammate Eric Reibe (Connecticut) has scouts excited about next season and what he’ll bring to a Washington team in the rebuild process.
Who else shined and made a lasting impression during the tournament? Here’s a look at 10 top performers from the U19 FIBA World Cup.
Mikel Brown Jr, USA, 6-foot-2 freshman guard, Louisville
Brown led Team USA in points and assists and set the tone early for the 12-man squad that is filled with future NBA talent. The Louisville point guard has great body control at the rim and shot the ball extremely well, shooting 41 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3-point range. Brown was an early favorite for tournament MVP after scoring 24 points against France and Cameroon. The 6-foot-2 point guard got into early foul trouble in the semifinals against Canada but found a way to close it out at the end and made huge plays in the fourth quarter as Team USA took the win, 108-102. Defensively, Brown keeps players in front of him and is able to poke the ball away when it’s passed in the post. His change of speed and direction from defense to offense is an underrated trait to his game and something scouts have loved to see in this overseas competition.
Hannes Steinbach, Germany, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Washington
Head coach Danny Sprinkle and Washington have to be thrilled with what they’re seeing from Steinbach. He has been one of the best bigs in the tournament and reliable on both ends of the court. Steinbach has huge hands and a nice touch around the rim and couples that with great footwork and toughness in the lane. Steinbach is averaging 17.2 points and 14 rebounds per game and led Germany to the gold medal game with a win over Slovenia. “I feel really good out here and it means a lot for all of us to represent our country,” Steinbach told HoopsHQ. “I just want to show my versatility and what I can add to any team that’s trying to win.” Steinbach was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the semifinals and finished with 14 points.
Omer Mayer, Israel, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Purdue
Mayer has been the biggest surprise of the tournament and it’s very clear that Purdue got a steal with the crafty point guard. The 6-foot-4 guard is a gritty two-way player who got better as the tournament went on and he settled into the rhythm of his teammates. Mayer has the ability to put his team on his back and slowly take over games. Scouts and college coaches saw him do it three times and Purdue fans have to be thrilled with the incoming freshman guard. Mayer has great pace and a nice touch in the lane. He also shot 38 percent from 3-point range on three attempts per game. Mayer is heading to Purdue with 6-foot-3 shooting guard Antione West and transfers Liam Murphy and Oscar Cluff.
Jordan Charles, Canada, 6-foot senior, point guard, Bella Vista Prep High School
Charles is one of the quickest guards with the ball in his hands and finds ways to weave passes through traffic. The 6-foot point guard averaged 13.7 points and 4.8 assists per game and gave Team USA trouble with his on-ball defense and the way he was able to jump the passing lane. Charles plays high school ball at Bella Vista Prep in Arizona and holds offers from Arizona State, UC Santa Barbara, St. Bonaventure, DePaul and Old Dominion. Charles first emerged as a point guard to watch at Basketball Without Borders, where he took home tournament MVP honors. He’s carried that consistency to the FIBA World Cup and is a player to watch in his upcoming high school senior season.
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Tyler Kropp, Argentina, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Northwestern
Kropp was the tournament’s leading scorer, averaging 21.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 forward chose Northwestern over Belmont, Davidson and Calpoly and is a high energy forward with great hands and a strong mid-range game. He did attempt a couple of 3-pointers each game, showing his budding pick-and-pop game, and was great on the offensive boards while providing second opportunities on offense. He gets caught reaching in at times and can be turnover prone when trying to speed up the game but what he brings as an offensive threat offsets the little things he’ll need to clean up at the college level.
Nikola Dzepina, Serbia, 6-foot-9 forward, Valencia
Serbia didn’t have the tournament it wanted, going 0-3 in pool play and losing in the round of 16 to Germany. But Dzepina had some great moments and screams upside as a versatile big who can dribble, pass and shoot. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 17.2 points and 4.4 rebounds and he had two 20-point performances against Mali and the Dominican Republic. He moves very well for his size and can guard the pick-and-roll well when he’s forced to step out on the perimeter. Dzepina currently plays for Valencia (Spain) and is draft eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Koa Peat, USA, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Arizona
Peat came into the tournament with something to prove after being sidelined for the last three months with a fractured hand. He wasn’t able to play in any high school post-season all-star games and wanted to use the tourney to make a strong statement and he’s done just that. “I’m just trying to remind people that I’m still one of the best players in the country,” Peat said. The Arizona forward has made his mark for Team USA, leading all players in rebounds (6.6) and is third in scoring (13.8) behind Brown and AJ Dybantsa. Peat gets to his spots with ease, is a bully in the paint and is elite on the boards, using his size to be in the right position. Peat chose Arizona over Houston, Baylor, Texas and Arizona State and is entering his freshman year alongside fellow five-star prospect Brayden Burries.
AJ Dybantsa, USA, 6-foot-9 freshman forward, BYU
Dybantsa is the No. 1 player in the 2026 high school class and the projected No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. He chose BYU over North Carolina, Kansas State and Alabama and head coach Kevin Young made the trip to Switzerland to take in a few of Dybantsa’s games. Dybantsa is the best player at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line, with 12 of his 22 points coming from the charity stripe against Canada. Dybantsa is a solid 6-foot-9 wing who has one of the quickest first steps off the dribble, making it almost impossible for defenders to guard. His 3-point jumper has improved and with his size and the way he can rise up over defenders, he’s difficult to close out on in catch-and-shoot situations. Dybantsa is averaging 15.8 points per game at FIBA and has no problem making winning plays when the game is on the line. “I hate losing…it’s as simple as that,” Dybantsa said. “Team USA didn’t medal in this event two years ago so we’re kind of the redeem team and want to make sure USA is back on top. This is a business trip for us.”
Lucas Morillo, Dominican Republic, 6-foot-6 senior forward, The Newman School
Morillo is the second leading scorer in the tournament at 20.3 points per game to go with 9.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He has been one of the most complete and consistent players on the court and did a little bit of everything for the Dominican Republic. Morillo is a four-star prospect in the 2026 high school class and plays high school ball at The Newman School in Boston. He was able to get to his spots and attack mismatch situations without hesitation. Morillo holds offers from High Point, Fairfield, East Carolina and Manhattan with his recruitment likely to pick up after a strong showing in Switzerland.
Christian Anderson, Germany, 6-foot-2 sophomore forward, Texas Tech
Anderson has one year of college basketball under his belt and is the leader of the German team that advanced to the gold medal game. He shoots at a high rate and is excellent at creating space off the dribble. Anderson is so good at finishing through contact and setting up his teammates with how he creates space. During his freshman year at Texas Tech, Anderson averaged 10.6 points and 2.2 assists in 30.5 minutes. He is expected to make a big jump his sophomore season and wants to carry the momentum from the FIBA World Cup into the season. “I learned a lot my freshman season at Texas Tech and I’m just coming in my sophomore season with a lot of confidence and I’m more settled into my game and offense,” Anderson said. “We have a great team coming back and our goal is a national championship. That’s it. We have the talent to do it and I’m excited.”
